Valentines Day has been celebrated with roses since the late 1600s. It started with King Charles II of Sweden while he was on a trip to Persia. There the king discovered the language of flowers. This is the art of using flowers to convey messages. And the rose, well, it sent the message of deep love.
So it was a natural step to give roses, red roses in particular, to the one you loved on Valentines Day. Approximately 250 million roses are sold and delivered in the three-day period around Valentine's Day, with over 40 per cent of those being red roses.
Did you know that roses go back as far as 40 million years in America? There are 35 species of roses native to the United States. The thousands of rose varieties we have today were developed, either in nature or by man, from the 150 to 200 rose species (those found growing in the wild). After the species, these varieties can be divided into four major classifications: bush, climbing, shrub and ground cover, and tree roses, according to Dr. Jerry Parsons, Texas A&M horticulturist (retired).
Valentines Day is the kick-off for several garden projects concerning roses. In our Zone 8b, we are lucky to be able to start planting rose bushes (bare-root and potted) during mid-to-late February. Some roses can be trimmed at this time, if they arent in bud or blooming. More about that in a minute. And cleaning up rose beds, amending the soil, and fertilizing are all on the list. So lets take the important points about planting roses first.
Roses are heavy feeders regardless of type. So soil nutrition is a key element. Roses require soil that is compost rich, well-drained and slightly acidic. Remember, we talked about soil tests earlier? This is where the pH of your soil needs to be identified. Roses take in nutrients the best with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8, but can tolerate our acidic soils to the 5.5 pH mark. Alkaline soils may cause manganese or iron deficiencies in your roses.
Regardless of the type of rose you select, sun exposure is another key element. Roses are sunheads. They require at least 8 to 10 hours of sun a day! Morning sun is preferred, but if your roses are facing West into the hot afternoon sun of our July and August days, you may need to give them a little protection from the glaring rays.
The other important factor with roses is air movement. Planting them too close, in an area where the breezes are blocked, or in a damp, humid area, is certain death for roses regardless of how great the soil is! Good air flow dries up dew and rain quickly, helping to prevent disease. Too much wind, however, can damage foliage in the summer and canes in the winter, so if the area you want to plant is a wind tunnel, put in a fence, windbreak or wall to protect them. Be sure they are still receiving at least 8 hours of sunlight.
Once you have your roses established, keeping them healthy can be accomplished by two tasks, pruning and fertilizing. Roses need haircuts. Pruning and trimming helps flush new growth and it also helps in removing of dead or diseased canes and leaves. Always remove dead canes and leaves! Never leave debris at the foot of a rose. This is an invitation to disease. In general, pruning begins in our area during the third week of February and continues through the first week of March.
Pruning roses can be a bit tricky. Those thorns protect those fragrant blossoms, so dealing with them can be hurtful if not prepared. Invest in a good or great pair of rose gloves. These are typically leather and have long forearm protection. Wear a long-sleeved shirt of heavy denim as well. Ive been caught by thorns reaching into a bush to cut out a dead cane and been stabbed on the upper arm. If I had been smarter, I might have used some long-handled loppers.
Fertilizing roses can be a matter of timing. You dont want a flush of young leaves or buds before a late frost hits in the spring, but you also dont want to wait too late and burn your roses. So the general consensus is to feed the modern, repeat-bloom rose varieties first in the spring right after pruning. Next, feed when they have developed flower buds, and then again about two months before the first frost in your area. Gardens with fast-draining, sandy soil or those in southern climates are usually fed more frequently, suggests Dr. Parsons.
You can also up your chances of having fewer problems if you plant the Earth-Kind rose cultivars. These roses have been given this special designation by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service through the Earth-Kind landscaping program. It is based on the results of extensive research and field trials, and is awarded only to those roses demonstrating superior pest tolerance, combined with outstanding landscape performance. Check out the cultivars at:
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/cultivars/
For more information on roses and their care and treatment, contact the Walker County AgriLife Extension office at 936-435-2426. You may also visit with a Master Gardener when we are in on Thursday mornings, or email us at walkercomg@gmail.com.
The Walker County Extension Office is also on Facebook. WalkerCoTxAgrilife has been established to provide updates and information to Walker County residents and landowners on a timely basis. The Walker County Master Gardeners are also on Facebook! Check out both of these Facebook pages and hit "like" to join.
Originally posted here:
In love with roses - Huntsville Item
- These Are the Most Popular Dogwood Trees and Shrubs to Plant - Country Living - October 17th, 2024 [October 17th, 2024]
- How To Grow And Care For Redbuds - Southern Living - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- How To Grow And Care For Abelia - Southern Living - August 17th, 2024 [August 17th, 2024]
- How To Grow And Care For Fig Trees - Southern Living - February 26th, 2024 [February 26th, 2024]
- Landscape Vegetation Analysis project improves habitat for wildlife - Wyoming Game and Fish Department - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Cicadas, Beans and Tree Water Questions - The Epoch Times - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- 24 Best essential oils for wrinkles, how to use and precautions - PINKVILLA - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Trufast Tree Service Reaches 5 Year Milestone in Business - GlobeNewswire - August 12th, 2022 [August 12th, 2022]
- Projects in Lincoln County look to reduce wildfire risk and support the local economy - themoorecountynews.com - August 12th, 2022 [August 12th, 2022]
- The joys of urban foraging - Deccan Herald - August 12th, 2022 [August 12th, 2022]
- Toxicodendron - Wikipedia - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Tabernanthe iboga - Wikipedia - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- 13 Common Maple Tree Problems and Diseases - Dengarden - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Haritaki Benefits, Uses, Types, Spirituality, and More - Healthline - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Carob powder: Nutrition, benefits, and more - Medical News Today - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- A selection of the best workwear brands for Australian women - Fashion Journal - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Start turning garden dreams into reality with these January tasks - La Jolla Light - January 24th, 2021 [January 24th, 2021]
- Witches and faeries give blackthorn a prickly name in the north - JohnOGroat Journal - January 24th, 2021 [January 24th, 2021]
- Smart Irrigation Market To Reach USD 3147.29 Million By 2027 | Rise in Awareness about Conservation of Water and an Increase in Investment for R&D... - January 24th, 2021 [January 24th, 2021]
- SavATree Extends Reach in Minnesota Twin Cities by Acquiring TREeCOLOGY - PR Web - December 10th, 2020 [December 10th, 2020]
- We're All the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree This Year - POPSUGAR - November 25th, 2020 [November 25th, 2020]
- Indigenous Burning Myths and Realities - The Wildlife News - November 25th, 2020 [November 25th, 2020]
- Indigenous Burning: Myth and Realities - The Wildlife News - October 29th, 2020 [October 29th, 2020]
- Homeowners, beware: 'Bag' worms are infesting trees and shrubs - Kankakee Daily Journal - October 10th, 2020 [October 10th, 2020]
- Invasive shrubs in Northeast forests grow leaves earlier and keep them longer - Penn State News - August 19th, 2020 [August 19th, 2020]
- What Is Oleandrin? Trump Reportedly Wants FDA to Approve Plant Extract for Coronavirus - Newsweek - August 19th, 2020 [August 19th, 2020]
- The best spa hotels in the UK for a relaxing staycation - The Independent - August 19th, 2020 [August 19th, 2020]
- Horror of honeysuckle: How to prevent the spread of this hellish invasive shrub - Herald Times Reporter - August 16th, 2020 [August 16th, 2020]
- Poison Ivy: How to Recognize and Treat - theLoop - August 16th, 2020 [August 16th, 2020]
- The future of wildfires: A cultural struggle to learn to live with fire - Summit Daily News - August 16th, 2020 [August 16th, 2020]
- Rewilding: rare birds return when livestock grazing has stopped - The Conversation UK - June 9th, 2020 [June 9th, 2020]
- Why is this tree leaning? How to stake new trees: Ask an expert - oregonlive.com - May 29th, 2020 [May 29th, 2020]
- In a first, Uttarakhand releases report on conservation of endemic, threatened floras - India TV News - May 29th, 2020 [May 29th, 2020]
- Invest in Emerald Ash Borer Tree Treatment Before It's Too ... - April 19th, 2020 [April 19th, 2020]
- Bruce Kreitler: Surviving in the shade and skip the Dicamba - Abilene Reporter-News - April 19th, 2020 [April 19th, 2020]
- Lucky the Town Council isn't in the forestry business - Alice Springs News Online - April 19th, 2020 [April 19th, 2020]
- Here is a list of West Michigan businesses hiring amid COVID-19 outbreak - WZZM13.com - March 25th, 2020 [March 25th, 2020]
- How to Look Your Best on a Webcam - The New York Times - March 25th, 2020 [March 25th, 2020]
- PROGRESS 2020: Business briefs - The Times - March 1st, 2020 [March 1st, 2020]
- How a little bird's big flight gave me a new reason for living - The Sydney Morning Herald - February 23rd, 2020 [February 23rd, 2020]
- Voodoo Vegetation Modeling Dooms Native Forests and Wildlife Habitat - CounterPunch - December 22nd, 2019 [December 22nd, 2019]
- Apple breaks ground on its new 133-acre campus in Austin, Texas - The Architect's Newspaper - December 4th, 2019 [December 4th, 2019]
- Invasive of the month Impact of ornamentals not pretty - Yellow Springs News - December 4th, 2019 [December 4th, 2019]
- Did You Leave Any of These Luxe Gifts Off the Sephora Wish List of Your Dreams? - POPSUGAR - December 4th, 2019 [December 4th, 2019]
- GALLERY: 74 pictures from The Press Business Awards 2019 - York Press - November 25th, 2019 [November 25th, 2019]
- 10 wild fruits of Uttarakhand that have medicinal properties - Firstpost - November 20th, 2019 [November 20th, 2019]
- 2019 Tree Pruning Cost & Price Estimates | Shrub ... - October 17th, 2019 [October 17th, 2019]
- Identifying Shrub Disease - Love Your Landscape - September 20th, 2019 [September 20th, 2019]
- Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed ... - April 26th, 2019 [April 26th, 2019]
- Shrub Disease Treatment | Save Your Shrubs with SavATree - April 5th, 2019 [April 5th, 2019]
- Its February: Time To Plan Spring Tree & Shrub Treatments ... - April 5th, 2019 [April 5th, 2019]
- Bartlett Tree Experts: Tree Service and Shrub Care in West ... - March 9th, 2019 [March 9th, 2019]
- Tree and Shrub Care Service | Athens Tree & Shrub ... - February 28th, 2019 [February 28th, 2019]
- Residential Shrub & Tree Disease Diagnosis and Treatment ... - August 24th, 2018 [August 24th, 2018]
- Tree Disease Treatment | Tree Disease Diagnosis | Fungus - July 24th, 2018 [July 24th, 2018]
- Shrub Disease Treatment | SavATree - October 19th, 2017 [October 19th, 2017]
- Birch Tree Facts|Birch Tree Disease Treatment Milwaukee - October 12th, 2017 [October 12th, 2017]
- Tree and Shrub Care - Protect From Insects & Disease|Lawn ... - September 29th, 2017 [September 29th, 2017]
- Tree Fungus Treatment & Identification | SavATree - September 29th, 2017 [September 29th, 2017]
- Tree and Shrub Spraying - September 19th, 2017 [September 19th, 2017]
- Gardening for the Record: Protect crape myrtles; bark scale is back in town - Times Record - August 22nd, 2017 [August 22nd, 2017]
- Helen Yemm: plum problems, wilting Judas, support for trees - Telegraph.co.uk - August 22nd, 2017 [August 22nd, 2017]
- Plants of the past: Native species topic of seminar - Williston Daily Herald - July 7th, 2017 [July 7th, 2017]
- Tree & Shrub Care - Spring Green - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- How to Grow A Tree or Shrub From Seed from TreeHelp - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- Tree and Shrub Care Program | Lawn Care Services ... - July 3rd, 2015 [July 3rd, 2015]
- Using Trees and Shrubs for Privacy and Wind Screening ... - July 3rd, 2015 [July 3rd, 2015]
- Yews (Taxus) trees and shrubs types, planting and care - April 27th, 2015 [April 27th, 2015]
- Preventing or Reducing Fruit on Ornamental Trees and Shrubs - April 18th, 2015 [April 18th, 2015]
- Winter Injury to Trees and Shrubs | The Morton Arboretum - April 5th, 2015 [April 5th, 2015]
- Tree Service and Shrub Care - Bartlett Tree Experts - Houston - April 5th, 2015 [April 5th, 2015]
- Start Caring for Crape Myrtles Now - April 5th, 2015 [April 5th, 2015]
- MASTER GARDENER: Propagating plumeria cuttings, controlling hydrangea color - March 31st, 2015 [March 31st, 2015]
- The week in gossip - March 20th, 2015 [March 20th, 2015]
- Help Wanted: Wine pourer, farmhand, preschool teacher - March 15th, 2015 [March 15th, 2015]
- Why would anyone want to shoot a sea otter? - March 11th, 2015 [March 11th, 2015]
- Tree Pruning Services - Tree Trimming and Tree Care Services - March 9th, 2015 [March 9th, 2015]
- Council gets to root of library car park mess - March 9th, 2015 [March 9th, 2015]
- Angel's trumpet is heavenly - March 9th, 2015 [March 9th, 2015]
- Fall Yard Care; Trees and Shrubs - My Yard Rocks ... - March 2nd, 2015 [March 2nd, 2015]